"No," she whispered. "No, Draco, please no. He can't-" The bloodied tears blurred her vision as Hermione gestured towards Liam.

She couldn't have done this. It was impossible. She had fed off a centaur – she very distinctly remembered doing so, remembered the salty taste and exhilarating feel of the creature's blood running like lightening through her veins. But Draco was too careful to have done this... It must have been her. It had to have been her...

She was a monster.

Draco's strong arms enveloped her and she allowed herself to fall into his embrace, taking whatever solace she could. She couldn't deny herself that. Especially when she would lose everything after this. "There's still a way…"

She quickly pushed away from him. "What? Really? What do we need to do?"

Draco grimaced and the ray of hope Hermione had felt was blasted away. "It won't be easy. And it will take very strong willpower on his part."

"Professor Malfoy, what are you talking about? Vampirism has never been cured successfully. If there were a cure, I would have been trained in the matter," Poppy interrupted.

Draco felt three sets of eyes on him as he set into his explanation. It pained him that Hermione's held the most hope. Hope he was sure she felt for both Liam and herself. He knew at that moment that although he had made her life easier, she would ultimately choose to reverse the process that had been done to her. "He's still what we call a 'Virgin Vampire.' Hermione, you're one too."

"I'm going to interrupt you right there… I'm," she blushed. "Well, I'm not a virgin, Draco."

He nodded in understanding. "No, it's not that kind of virgin. It means that he's never bitten a human, just like you. You can still drink blood, but as long as you don't pierce the skin, you can turn back."

"I've never… oh," Hermione whispered as realization dawned on her. Finally, his reaction when he found out that she didn't drink from humans made sense. "Draco, I-"

"So why hasn't he turned back then?" Minerva interrupted Hermione's confession.

"Well, that's where it gets… complicated." He took an unnecessary breath. "In order for him to revert, his sire needs to be destroyed. It would be the same for you, Hermione."

"Oh. My. Merlin." Hermione's words echoed all of their thoughts... But Draco would not have suggested that both of them could be cured if her death was necessary to save Liam – and she felt she would gladly die if that's what it took to save her favorite pupil from this curse – which mean that she couldn't have done this...

He could be saved. They both could be saved.

"Professor Granger…?"

Hermione whipped around to see Liam struggling against his restraints. "Liam? You're awake!"

"What's going on? I feel so weak and my throat hurts."

"Liam," Draco stepped forward. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

"Professor Malfoy? Why are you here too? And why am I tied up? Am I in trouble?" Hermione's heart broke when she saw the bloodied tears fall freely from his eyes.

"Liam, you're not in trouble, but I need you to focus. Can you do that for me?" Draco leaned down to block Liam's view from the rest of the room. He knew how hard it was for newly changed vampires to focus. "Liam, do you remember what happened last night? How did you get outside?"

Liam's head swayed and Draco gently pushed him back down. The small boy moaned. "I'm so thirsty…"

Hermione placed her hand on Draco's arm. "Draco, can I try?" He nodded and she replaced him on the edge of the bed. "Liam, do you remember what I told you about the war?" He continued to moan, but nodded in response. "Liam, you know that I have helped defeat many bad wizards. Now, all I want is to help you, but I can't do that without your help. Do you think you could help me?"

"I- I think I was the last one in the Common Room… It gets really fuzzy after that."

"Good, good. Now, can you remember anything else? Try really hard for me, okay? Even a little, tiny detail will help me."

Liam leaned his head against his pillow and tried to swallow away the pain in his throat. "Well, there was this… voice I think. There was definitely something outside the window last night." His eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "It wanted me to invite it in. And… I think I did. I couldn't help it."

The four adults in the room paled at what Liam had implied. If he had, indeed, invited the vampire into the castle, then no student was safe.

"Compulsion," Draco whispered.

Minerva pulled Draco and Poppy aside. "We need to gather the rest of the Professors… We need to inform them of what has occurred and that Hogwarts is no longer safe. This attacker could very well be inside the school at this very moment." She steadied herself. "I will be writing to parents and the Ministry. Our school must be protected."

"Wait," Draco said. "I think that we will only be in danger during the night. I mean, the lapis lazuli is very rare and I am the only vampire that I know of in possession of the knowledge. Perhaps we should set about extra patrols at night and, for the time being, allow the students to remain blissfully unaware."

Minerva deliberated for a moment. "As good as that sounds, I have to inform the parents. Something as serious as this must be addressed, especially if he or she, has access to the school. Poppy, please gather the Professors so that we may meet before breakfast. I will be in my office consulting with the other Headmasters."

Draco was disappointed that Minerva had not taken his advice. But, after his rebellious few years, he had accepted that he would not always get his way. He understood that parents need to be informed, but he was afraid of the backlash that would be directed towards Hermione and himself.

Speaking of Hermione, she was still trying to get any information out of Liam. Draco took a place in the chair beside the bed and began to ready the potion.

"I'm sorry, Professor Granger, but I don't remember anything else. Will you tell me what's going on now?" Liam pleaded.

Hermione took a deep breath to steel her nerves. "Liam, the voice that wanted you to let it in… Well, it-"

"It was a man. I remember that now!" Liam beamed.

"Good, Liam. That's good." Hermione tried desperately to hold back her tears. Liam was trying so hard to please her and she was about to break his world. "Liam, the man from earlier… He was a vampire. Do you understand?"

"Not really Professor…"

"Liam… Draco, I can't. Please…"

Draco nodded, understanding just how close Hermione was to falling apart over her favorite student. "Liam, the vampire that talked to you earlier also did something else to you. Now, this is very hard to understand so just try to listen. Liam, he turned you into a vampire."

"A… A vampire? So… I'm like you, Professor Granger?"

"How about you call me Hermione now? I think that would be okay, don't you?" Draco placed his hand over hers to give her strength.

"Prof- Hermione, is that why I'm so thirsty? Because I need blood?" She nodded. "Well, if you're a vampire, then it won't be so bad I think."

Hermione wanted to walk straight into the sun. Liam's strength was just too much to the very fragile situation. –Why the hell can't I control my emotions?

"It's because you're too emotionally involved with this. You're too close to the situation. I understand exactly what you're going through but try to remain strong for him."

-Alright.

Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring similar to his own. "Liam, you need to wear this from now on. It will protect you from the sun. To be safe, never take it off. Do you understand?" When Liam nodded, Draco continued. "Now I want you to listen very closely to what I'm about to tell you. It is imperative that you do not bite anyone."

"Why?"

"Well, we don't want to get your hopes up, but there may be a way to reverse what has happened to you. But it won't work if you bite a human."

"But if you guys are vampires, why can't I stay as one?"

"Liam," Hermione grabbed his hand. "It may seem like fun right now, but there will come a time when you might not want to be a vampire anymore. Please, just promise me that you'll do as Professor Malfoy says."

"Alright Hermione…"

Draco's heart broke as he realized that, given the choice, Hermione would choose to revert back into a human. He had begun to think that he would at least have one friend to last him until eternity. Now, it seemed, those hopes would be destroyed before they even began. He had let himself believe he wouldn't be alone for the rest of his life. He would now have to get used to that idea again.

He didn't even try to push back the depression that swarmed his mind.